Web Development and Website Design
Getting your business online properly, once - built to be fast, findable and easy to change later.
Setting up a presence online has never been easier to do badly. Templates are cheap and page builders are everywhere, and the result is very often a site that looks acceptable, loads slowly, cannot be found in search, and cannot be extended without starting again.
I build websites and web applications the other way round: structure first, so the thing performs, ranks and survives contact with your actual business.
What is included
A website engagement with me covers the whole path from domain to live site - you do not need to assemble the pieces yourself.
- Design and build of the site or application
- Domain registration and DNS set up
- Business email configuration
- Secure hosting with a provider I can recommend and support
- Mobile-first responsive layout across modern browsers and devices
- Technical SEO foundations - titles, metadata, structured data, sitemap
- Performance work - image optimisation, caching, Core Web Vitals
- Contact forms, integrations and analytics
- SSL, backups and update routine
- Handover documentation so you are not locked to me
How a website project runs
A straightforward sequence, with something visible to react to early rather than a big reveal at the end.
1Scope conversation
We talk about what the site needs to do, who it is for, and what success looks like. I come back with a written scope and a price.
2Structure and content plan
Before any design, we agree the page structure - which pages exist, what each one is for, and what it should rank for. This is the step most projects skip and most projects regret skipping.
3Design and build
I build the site against that structure, sharing a working staging URL as it comes together so you can react to something real.
4Technical SEO and performance pass
Metadata, structured data, sitemap, robots, redirects, image compression and caching - done as part of the build, not sold to you afterwards as an extra.
5Launch and handover
Domain, email, SSL and hosting configured, search console verification set up, and documentation handed over.
Websites versus web applications
The distinction matters for pricing and timeline. A website presents information and captures enquiries. A web application does work - accounts, permissions, data entry, reporting, integrations with other systems. The second is a considerably larger undertaking and I will be explicit about which one you are asking for.
Plenty of businesses need a small amount of the second inside the first: a booking flow, a customer portal, a quoting tool. That is entirely normal and usually the most valuable part of the project. See app development if the application side is the bulk of what you need.
Whichever it is, the site is built to be indexed. That means server-rendered HTML that search engines can read without executing JavaScript, one clean URL per topic, correct canonical tags, real 404s rather than blanket redirects, and structured data describing what your business actually does. These are not optional extras - they are the difference between a site that exists and a site that is found.
Related services
App Development
Web, mobile and desktop applications for Windows, macOS and Linux, built with a real focus on the end user.
Cloud & Server Admin
AWS and Linux setup, hardening, monitoring and deployment pipelines for teams without a dedicated ops person.
Legacy Code Modernisation
Old codebases made safe to change again: upgrades, refactoring, tests and documentation, without a risky rewrite.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost?
It depends almost entirely on whether you need a website or a web application. A well-built brochure-and-enquiry site is a different order of cost to a customer portal. I give a fixed price once the scope is written down, and I will tell you honestly if what you want is cheaper to buy off the shelf.
How long does it take?
A straightforward business website is usually a few weeks from agreed scope to launch, with most of the elapsed time being content and feedback rather than build. Applications run longer and are delivered in increments.
Will I be able to edit the site myself?
Yes, if you want that. I will set up a content management approach appropriate to how often you actually intend to update the site - which for many businesses is far less often than they expect at the start.
Do you handle hosting and email?
Yes. I set up domain, DNS, SSL, secure hosting and business email as part of the engagement, on providers I can support. You own all the accounts.
Ready to build it properly?
Send me a sentence about your business and what the site needs to do. I will come back with a realistic scope and price.
Tell me about your project